7.—(1) Wherever any statutory Board of Commissioners or other statutory body to which this section applies was in existence on the 6th day of December, 1921, and had jurisdictions, powers or duties extending to the whole of the late United Kingdom, or to any part thereof, which included the area now comprised in Saorstát Eireann, the Executive Council may, by Order, establish a Board of Commissioners to exercise in Saorstát Eireann the functions which were on the 6th day of December, 1921, exercisable by such statutory Commissioners or statutory body as aforesaid in the area now comprised in Saorstát Eireann.

(2) In exercising the powers conferred by this section, the Executive Council may confer or impose on any one Board of Commissioners established under this section all or any of the several jurisdictions, powers and duties of two or more such statutory Boards of Commissioners or statutory bodies as aforesaid, and may divide the jurisdictions, powers and duties of any such statutory Commissioners or statutory body amongst two or more Boards of Commissioners established under this section: Provided that no Order of the Executive Council made in pursuance of this sub-section shall come into operation unless and until it has been laid before each House of the Oireachtas, and approved by resolution of each such House.

(3) Whenever the Executive Council establishes under this section any Board of Commissioners, the Executive Council shall, by the Order establishing such Board, apply to such Board with such adaptations and modifications as may be necessary the several British Statutes regulating the Boards of Commissioners or other body or bodies whose or any of whose jurisdictions, powers or duties are by such Order conferred or imposed on such Board.

(4) This section applies to any statutory Board of Commissioners or other statutory Board or body exercising any function of government or discharging any public duties in relation to public administration.